Memo

To: All ASCS Parents

From: Steve Virgadamo

Date: September 23, 2022

Re: Head of School Journal Entry - Week 3 – Parents Back to School Night Week and Accreditation

First, I want to apologize for the length of this week’s journal entry, but I hope you will read it all even if not at one sitting.

WEEK 3 JOURNAL - SUPPLEMENTAL ENTRY

It is now a few minutes after 1:30 on Friday. I wrote the rest of this journal entry at 10 AM. Shortly after that it was a different week 3 altogether. Power was interrupted by a tree a few hundred feet from the school taking down powerlines. Eversource advised us that power may not be restored till Monday. 

Mrs. Dunn texted parents while I helped teachers get K-1 and 2 students from the lunchroom back to their classroom. The classrooms were the safest and the windows provided natural daylight. The 3-4 and 5 grades were escorted from the playground where they were at recess into the dining hall to have lunch. The dining hall is well lit by natural light and we felt they needed to have lunch before dismissal. By this time some parents were responding to Mrs. Dunn’s text and began arriving at the front door of the school to pick up their child(ren). We assured them everyone was safe and, in their classrooms, well-lit with natural daylight. We began releasing students to parents as they arrived. By 11:55 we could no longer release students in the front of the school as the busses began arriving. Attendance was taken in each classroom to account for all students except the few that had been dismissed to their parents. We tried our best to have normal pick up in the back of building at 12:15. We wanted the students to proceed as much as possible with a normal pick up in the back of school. The normalcy of the routine could minimize student fears – especially for our young scholars. The rear parking lot dismissal worked well – thank goodness it was week 3 and most parents were familiar with pick up procedures. It did get confusing sometimes when we had some parents who don’t normally pick in the pick-up line. Thank you to our regulars on the pick-up line who patiently coached them. We truly are an All Saints family. 

In a little more than 60 minutes we had nearly 400 students back safely with their parents. I have said many times and say it again, Mrs. Dunn has assembled an incredible staff. Each one is filled with a missionary zeal. Seeing them go into emergency procedure mode and staying calm as not to distress students was better than a textbook could describe. Each one showed their competence, compassion and love for your children. As with anything there are some things we might have done better. And in this case Monday morning quarterbacking is a good thing. Please know we will debrief this as there is always something we can learn.

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF WEEK 3 –

Sept 19 -7 AM Monday to 11:00 AM – Friday, September 23rd.

We began the week on Monday, September 19, 2002 with a lockdown drill. It went extremely well. We had a few “take-aways” that we noted and focused on the necessary modifications. The largest burden we carry is the safety and security of our scholars and staff. Children need a loving, safe and nurturing environment to succeed.

Week three of the 2022-2023 school year was memorable and successful. The young scholars from PreK3-8 have adjusted to the rituals, routines and procedures. We continue to remind students every day that is not how much they love Jesus, but how much HE loves them. 

Week 3 saw us welcome John Marmanides to serve on our safety and security team. John is a Norwalk native who has served as a Judicial Marshall and a Deputy Sherriff in Florida. He returned to Norwalk to assist his parents. We were blessed to find him. The young scholars will call him Office John. Please be sure to offer him the hospitable welcome we extend to all new members of our ASCS Family.

Week 3 included what we consider to be the second happiest day of the year. The first is when the young scholars arrive for the new school year. The second of course is Parent Back to School Night. This week we had more than 300 parents at the Back to School Night. You - each parent is a shareholder in ASCS. That is the reason as why as good stewards we delivered a State of The School Message at the Back to School Night and that is the reason each teacher was there to meet with parents to speak of the mutual expectations of parents, staff and scholars. A copy of the PowerPoint of the State of the School message can be found on our website.

All Saints School Accreditation 

If you were at the Back to School Night or you are just now reviewing the PowerPoint you know that ASCS has accepted the challenge of a generation. This year, we are renewing our accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. That’s right when we succeed, All Saints will once again be accredited by the highest accrediting agency in New England – the same agency that accredits Fairfield University, Holy Cross College, Sacred Heart University, Providence, Salve Regina and more.

 We need the help of our parents to successfully receive accreditation. You can consider the following for now:

• First note that we will now have a half day of on October 21 so that Beth Hamilton, Assistant Director at New England Association of Schools and Colleges can meet with the faculty/staff to review the accreditation procedure and metrics for success. This half day will replace the half day on the school calendar scheduled for January 30, 2023. January 30th will now be a full day of school. Please mark your calendars accordingly.

Accreditation and Parental Involvement

A benchmark of a successful school is the level of involvement of parents in the education process. We need the TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE support from the parent community. Community involvement and demonstrated philanthropic support and volunteer involvement of the parent community will benefit us in the Accreditation process.

We ask you to prayerfully discern the following:

• Volunteer to be a Room Parent – a liaison to all the parents at the respective grade level. Ideally, we have co-chair room parents. Speak to Stefania Barlett if you are interested in helping with this effort. 
• As we said in the State of the School Message – every family in the school receives a financial aid grant of nearly $1200 per student. If you find yourself in a position that you don’t need that financial assistance, we ask that you prayerfully consider making a gift to the school of any part or all of the $1200 per child financial aid offered to your family. For those who itemize on your tax return the gift is deductible for you to the fullest extent of the law. Contact Eileen D’Andrea for more information about how to make your gift.
• We are considering bringing back the Spring Gala as an opportunity to honor community and Church leaders who manifest the “saintly” qualities we expect in every ASCS graduate. The event is an opportunity for parents to gather as community and recognize the heroes among us. The event also can serve as a fundraiser that can secure community support. Hence expanding our outreach and philanthropic support of ASCS beyond the parent community. We need co-chairs and committee members. Eileen and Denise are reaching out to some candidates, but as my Nona (Italian grandmother) used to say: “a closed mouth doesn’t get fed.” So, taking a lead from an important role model in my life, I’m asking you to consider contacting Eileen to discuss how you may help plan a Spring Gala for ASCS. I promise you it will be fun and memorable to help organize.

Make our Mission as a community of believers and people of Faith come alive….

• Attend grade Masses in our Chapel with Father Perella on Tuesday and Thursdays. Stay post Mass for 30 minutes of Adoration.

• Join Father Perella for “Walk and Talk” an initiative that he is collaborating with the HSA leadership to organize. It will be an opportunity to walk the ASCS track and pray the Rosary with him on a regular basis. Stay tuned for more details on this in the Monday news. 

Accreditation and Facilities

Our building and campus are 64 years old. Most of my 60+ year old friends are talking about “nips and tuck” procedures. One can say our campus and building needs a few “nips and tucks” as well. Eileen is compiling a list of items to be repaired, replaced etc. as a part of the gift catalog. Some will need to be addressed immediately so as not to impede our ability to pass the accreditation “test.” If you’d rather direct your gift to a specific purpose either to improve the functionality or curb appeal of All Saints see Eileen and review the many facility improvements and other that will benefit students or staff that she is assembling for use in the gift catalog.

School Culture

How do we know we are building a healthy school culture? Let me just a few conversations I overheard this past week:

One of our young scholars has a close relative who is in hospice care living with her family. She told her teacher my Uncle is living with us now. I’m sad that he will be moving out soon, but Jesus is happy that he will be moving in with him.”

A third-grade class was enroute to the dining hall and walking through the lobby with the college pendants hanging. I saw them pointing to pendants and proudly announcing to each other what college they were going to attend.

 A staff member was asking middle school students not what they wanted to do when they graduated from College, but rather what problem would they solve with their education and wisdom?

Overheard several parents repeatedly using the word transparency as a word to describe the 22-23 school year and the school’s relationship with our stakeholders. 

Student Formation and Covid Loss

Lastly, I have another request. Continue to partner with us on the formation of each child. If you review the teaching and learning slides presented by Mrs. Dunn, you can see the data clearly – THE COVID LOSS IS REAL. Thanks to the perseverance of our staff and parents during the pandemic, it is not as real as it is in the government sponsored schools or other schools in the diocese of Bridgeport, but it is real. In addition to the strategies Mrs. Dunn points out in the Back to School PowerPoint that we will implement to help young people recover from the Covid loss, we encourage you to help your child(ren) read more. If your child(ren) is an early child hood student please read more to and with them. Reading is fundamental to learning. 

Edith Stein once wrote: “Intellect and emotion must cooperate. The pandemic learning loss is real as manifested by the standardized test scores, but the socialization skills, and the social/emotional skills of our young people have also been setback by the pandemic. Please know that Mrs. Dunn and our staff are watching each young scholar closely and working with Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Corrente and you as needed.

Safety and Security

In addition to the lock down drill mentioned above, we have conducted 2 fire drills so far this year. One for the aftercare program and one for the entire school during regular class hours. Both were successful drills. The all school drill had the building evacuated and scholars in a safe place in less than 3 minutes. Next week, the police presence on campus will be changing and we will not have a cruiser there at pick up and drop off, but will have them monitoring our campus carefully. Please be sure to continue to have your yellow placard prominently displayed whenever you on campus. It’s a sign that you are a parent/guardian etc. The police, our security and all ASCS staff will be watching for any vehicle on campus to have the placard displayed or have received an appropriate visitor pass.

Saintly Whisper and a Weekend Prayer

There is a reason why they tell us on the airplane to put your own oxygen mask on first. We can be better parents and teachers if we focus on our own spiritual growth first. The young people watch everything we say and do. So, I share this “SAINTLY WHISPER” from St. Thomas Aquinas and invite you this weekend to join me in praying his words:

“Grant me O Lord my God, a mind to know you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful in perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you.

God bless your family. Have a blessed weekend and make memories. As for the supplemental journal entry today:11 AM, it is like the song says: “My mother told me there would be days like this.” Semper Altius - See you Monday for week 4.

In Christ:

Steven Virgadamo

Head of School

Mrs. Dunn has done it again. She identified and recruited Karen Cella to join the All Saints Teaching and Learning Team. Karen began this week. She comes to us via The King School in Stamford and is well known in the community as a coach and instructor of girls’ softball. Ms. Cella will teach Phys Ed and join the Administrative team as the All Saints Athletic Director. She will be a great addition to the staff. I continue to be amazed by the team of formators Mrs. Dunn has assembled for All Saints school. She clearly adheres to the adage: “If you want scholars who love learning, you must find teachers who love learning.  

Last week I wrote that Father Perella joined our staff as our Spiritual Director. Beginning September 20th and every Tuesday and Thursday going forward Father will celebrate Mass for a different a grade level at 8:04 -8:48 AM (A Block) in the school chapel. Please consider joining us to celebrate the Eucharist as a family of scholars, staff and parents. As they say, the family that prays together, stays together. 

Father Perella will also be available to staff, students, families for penance and spiritual direction. He is speaking with the HSA Leadership in an effort to organize and host Adoration in our Chapel for parents after he celebrates Mass on Tuesdays and Thursdays. More on this to come. He is also working with the HSA leadership to implement a program we call – WALKING WITH PURPOSE. On a regular basis parents will be invited to walk the track with him and pray the Rosary. This will most likely also be a post drop off opportunity. Stay tuned. Film at 11 as they say.

Many thanks to Denise, Eileen and Mister Al for organizing the parent coffees and conversation this week. Nearly 50 parents attended the morning coffee and conversation sessions. I am continuing the Friday weekly memo for now as the parents attending recommended it continue. I’m happy to do so.

The Norwalk Police completed the security audit of our campus perimeter and the All Saints building. Our next step is to collaborate with the diocese and the leadership of Malta House to review the suggestions and implement the recommendations. More on this to come. 

Mrs. Dunn is truly a Master Teacher. She has been working closely with the team leaders and teachers at the early childhood, lower and middle school levels. Good things are happening. There is a real pulse to ASCS. You can see it, hear it and feel it. The classrooms and hallways are filled with the sounds of learning.

Back to school night is this next week on September 20th. Please RSVP to the invite included in the weekly news notes. Doing so will register you and help expedite the sign in procedures. We are expecting the largest crowd of the year. Don’t miss this event. It is not just an opportunity to meet the teachers, but also an opportunity for us to share with you our root/core values and the beliefs underlying all we do at All Saints as we prepare scholars for COLLEGE and HEAVEN. Today, some post-secondary education in liberal arts, the sciences or vocational trades or more are an expectation for our young scholar’s future. We will also deliver a brief but transparent state of the school message to you – our parent stakeholders.

 Tale of Two Cities opens with the words: “It was the Best of Times …. It was the worst of Times”. I feel a bit that way as I write this Friday memo to you – our parent shareholders. Mr. Jim Pickering has been called to another chapter in his life. He will be leaving our All Saints family to join the security team at the Wilton Government sponsored schools. So, I ask for a favor. Beginning Monday on the drop off line let’s surprise Jim with a car horn salute. I invite and encourage two quick honks on the horn as you pass him in the am and perhaps again at afternoon pick up. A salute to a great man. He does not know I have asked for this favor. Jim has been an extraordinary blessing to All Saints School. He was filled with a missionary zeal to keep us safe, but he was also a role model and a formator for our scholars. 

 We have identified a new Director of Safety and Security. He has extensive experience as a Deputy Sherriff and as a Judicial Marshall. He is actively engaged in the hiring process. More on this to come.

When attending Mass this weekend perhaps you will consider encouraging your child(ren) to wear ASCS swag. It helps the pastors we serve see the impact of ASCS as a ministry of their parish. 

Lastly, please let us know how we are doing and we can better serve you and your family.

Have a blessed weekend.